diff --git a/core/main.mk b/core/main.mk
index 5682643b2c90..3d8d6e07ef3f 100644
--- a/core/main.mk
+++ b/core/main.mk
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ endif
 #TOPDIR := $(TOP)/
 #endif
 
-# check for broken versions of make
+# Check for broken versions of make.
+# (Allow any version under Cygwin since we don't actually build the platform there.)
+ifeq (,$(findstring CYGWIN,$(shell uname -sm)))
 ifeq (0,$(shell expr $$(echo $(MAKE_VERSION) | sed "s/[^0-9\.].*//") = 3.81))
 ifeq (0,$(shell expr $$(echo $(MAKE_VERSION) | sed "s/[^0-9\.].*//") = 3.82))
 $(warning ********************************************************************************)
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ $(warning **********************************************************************
 $(error stopping)
 endif
 endif
+endif
 
 TOP := .
 TOPDIR :=